be. bill: you will have i'd standing day. martha: i get so work with you today. bill: enjoy your family. martha: thank you very much. bill: tomorrow is just another day. martha: another lovely day in america. see you tomorrow. "happening now" starts now. bye, everybody. jon: fox news alert. a desdesperate plea for the release of a 5-year-old boy as the hostage standoff is in its section day. he was snatched from a school bus where the driver was shot and killed. he has got the boy in an underground bunker. hostage negotiators are working around the clock to get the boy free. questions remain on why did the gunman take him? we're live on the scene in a few moments. first, brand new stories and breaking news. >> deadly storms causing serious damage across the country

frightening new developments in the iran nuclear showdown as the rogue nation backs up serious threats to retaliate against israel. a very busy 24, 48 hours we'll tell you about it. randy travis's trouble with the law. could the country music star wind up spending serious time behind bars? it he is all "happening now." jenna: not a flattering mug shot of randy travis, that shot, right? jon: not something you put on an album cover. jenna: we'll have the latest. our big story, happening now the president's pick to lead the pentagon is facing his critics. i'm jenna lee. jon: good to have you back after a week away. jenna: hope you missed me desperately. jon: yes we did. i'm jon scott.

whether chuck hagel will be confirmed as defense secretary the republican taking questions from his former colleagues on the senate armed services committee. many in his own party criticizing him ever sips his nomination was announced saying is not sufficiently pro-israel and he needs to be. he is criticized for his quotes on the jewish lobby and gay rights. no matter what he said in the past his world view has stayed the same. >> my overall world view has never changed. that america has and must maintain the strongest military in the world. that we must lead in the international community, to confront threats and challenges together. and take advantage of opportunities together. that we must use all our tools of american power to protect our citizens and our interests. jon: let's talk about the hearings with chris wallace,

the ainge core of -- anchor of "fox news sunday" who joins us now. we heard substantial opposition to the hagel nomination primarily from the republican side. is there really a possibility he would not be concerned? >> yeah, there is a possibility. if he steps in it in this hearing and says something that would raise those concerns again, i suppose it's possible but very unlikely. the senator has been on something of a charm offensive, jon. he has met with more than 50 of the 100 members of the senate one-on-one, to deal with some of these concerns. some of his critics say he has been involved in a confirmation conversion. he has in the past expressed concerns and even sometimes opposition to sanctions against iran. he is now for them. as you mentioned he talked about the jewish lobby and its undue influence on capitol hill. said as a u.s. senator, not an israeli senator. he is very much in favor, in his opening statement he said giving a qualitative military edge to israel. he at various times supported the idea of a zero

option of the elimination of all nuclear weapons. today he talked about maintaining a smaller, but a modernized and effective nuclear arsenal. so his changed or shaded some of his views to some degree and that seems to have eased a lot of concern about him. i would say unless something untoward happens, something surprising happens in these hearings that the air has gone out of the opposition. jon: and it is often the case that these hearings are more about generating sound bites for the questioners than really getting answers from the questionee, right? >> yeah but i think there are enough issues out there critics want to get him on the record, position him on variety of issues in terms of past statements and record and in terms of issues that are a big concern. one. issues of big concern, he had to deal with that today, in the past he talked about the pentagon budget being bloated and said it should be pared down. there is lot of concern now with these allic spending

cuts see question operation and -- sequestration and hundred-billion dollar spending cuts that are supposed to kick in on march 1st. defense secretary leon panetta was a staunch supporter of the pentagon budget. he said if all the cuts would go through it would damage national security. interesting enough seems to be another converse conversion on the part of hagel, that even if there are budget cuts the u.s. military will remain the strongest military in the world. jon: you have an unstable egypt. you have iran and syria threatening war on israel. a military force frankly tired out after two years over the last 10 years, one of which continues. whoever takes this job an presumably it will be chuck hagel will have their hands very full. >> oh absolutely but one of the points hagel makes is, it is the president who sets ultimate policy. he said he is completely supportive of that policy. there is no question they will try to put him on the

record on a variety of these issues. aye not sure it makes a difference in the long run. if president decides to do something different than what hague gell testifies to today, they can't stop it. having said they will use the hearings for more than just sound bites. they will try to position hagel in terms of what he said in the past and in terms of challenges he may have to deal with in the future. >> it will be a an interesting thing to continue to watch. chris wallace, thanks for spending time with us this morn. >> my pleasure. jon: chris needs to get ready for his show, fox news sunday, runs 2:00 p.m. eastern time on the fox news channel and you can also find it on your local fox station. check the listings. jenna: we have new details on the hostage standoff unfolding in the small town of midland city, alabama. right now negotiators are working round-the-clock as a 5-year-old boy is held eight feet underground in some bunker and he was snatched by the gunman from his school bus.

elizabeth prann is live on scene with the latest. >> reporter: the more we talk to neighbors the more we learn about how intricate and complex this bunker system was. one neighbor, ronda wilbur, who has been our eyes and ears who lives directly across from him. he would take all the debris used from taking digging out the hole and use it to build a fence in front of his home full of mud and sticks. almost like a beaver dam so you can't see on to his property. she elaborated on his very erratic behavior. would work all hours of the night, digging and building that bunker. she describes the pvc piping we've been talking about as neighbors theory of line of communication which authorities haven't confirmed. listen. >> the pvc piping that he uses because he uses it all over, i believe that he probably has a network of the piping but it's, you know, it is about like this wide and, you know, about that thick. >> reporter: now in the

meantime we certainly have a community who is anxiously waiting and praying for this young boy's safe return. while they're mourning the loss of a hero. that bus driver who sacrificed his own life for the safety of all the children on that school bus. there was a number of prayer vigils held in the community as religious leaders are trying to counsel these very young students about not only witnessing a murder but also the fact that they have lost one of their peers who is missing and they don't know when he will be able to return. listen to what one pastor told us. >> we need to get together and pray basically for ethan mainly, the young boy's safe return. but the truth is --. >> reporter: we do get press updates every few hours. we're hoping for one at 1:00 eastern. we'll obviously keep you posted. i also want to let you know the community really remains on lockdown. the area behind me has been evacuated a rural neighborhood of 20 homes. those folks don't know when they will be able to get back home. all the schools remained

closed in the area until further notice. jenna? jenna: big story for us today, elizabeth. thank you for that. we'll have much more. we'll speak to a former member of the fbi. what is it like on the ground during the hostage situation. what do you do here? he will join us live next hour. jon: this fox news weather alert. cleanup efforts are underway in areas hit very hard in severe weather. a massive storm system, spawning tornados in georgia, as well as punishing winds in the midwest and northeast the system is moving out to sea now. but more rough weather could be on the way. meteorologist janice dean, live in the fox weather center with the track. janice? >> incredible. over 600 reports of severe weather. 13 confirmed tornados. two of those e f-2s with winds 115 to 125 miles an hour. the rest of the system is exiting the northeast behind it. it is cold.

we're getting that lake-effect snow. in some cases 2 1/2 feet of snow ahead of the front. the rain is ending and should be out of there by midday thursday afternoon. winds will be excess is i have. in some cases up to 50 or 60 miles an hour. that's what we're looking at jfk around 49 miles an hour. nantucket, 44. philadelphia earlier on today, 52. so you get the picture. we're still dealing with winds. those will continue throughout the day. it will cause some airline delays. that will cause a ripple effect. 24 hour temperature change, in some cases we're dealing with temperatures 30 to 40 degrees below what they were at this time yesterday. so that's going to continue as this front moves eastward. winter is back across the northern plains and the upper midwest where you see these windchill advisories. 35 to 50 below zero in the warning areas. feels-like temperatures if you're outside and not bundled up properly, feels like 46 in minot. minus 22 in minneapolis.

minus 35 in fargo. winter is on the way. jon, i want to show you how big of a drop we're talking. in chicago we set a record on tuesday. 63 degrees. today, 16. saturday, 3 degrees. that is a 60 degree drop from tuesday to saturday. incredible. back to you. jon: yeah. it is really, really weird out there right now. >> extreme is the word. jon: janice dean, you will have your hands full. thanks, janice. jenna: extreme weirdness. jon: that is the term for it. jenna: for our fox weather center. we'll have the latest i'm sure coming up. anyways we'll turn back to the hearing happening in d.c. secretary of defense nominee chuck hagel defending his record at the confirmation here happening right now as you see from the live pictures. is making his case? senator marco rubio weighs in moments from now on the latest news. we have this happening. frightening new developments in the iranian nuclear showdown. reports that iran is coming

even closer to turning out nuclear warheads as we have new threats from iran and syria against our one ally in the region, israel. we'll go in depth, just ahead. to the best vacation spot on earth. (all) the gulf! it doesn't matter which of our great states folks visit. mississippi, alabam louisiana or florida, they're gonna love it. shaul, your alabama hospitality is incredible. thanks, karen. love your mississippi outdoors. i vote for your florida beaches, dawn. bill, this louisiana seafood is delicious. we're having such a great year on the gulf, we've decided to put aside our rivalry. now is the perfect time to visit anyone of our states. the beaches and waters couldn't be more beautiful. take a boat ride, go fishing or just lay in the sun. we've got coastline to explore and wildlife to photograph. and there's world class dining with our world famous seafood.

so for a great vacation this year, come to the gulf. its all fabulous but i give florida the edge. right after mississippi. you mean alabama. say louisiana or there's no dessert. this invitation is brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home.

but take comfort. it may not be you; it may be your razor. upgrade to gillette fusion proglide. micro-thin blades are thinner than a surgeon's scalpel to put less stress on your skin by gliding through hair. switch to fusion proglide. number one dermatologist recommended on sensitive skin. and now introducing new fusion proglide sensitive shave gel. gillette. the best a man can get.

jenna: welcome back, everyone, a tense situation further developing in the middle east today with both syria and iran now threatening to retaliate bense our ally israel for an airstrike in syria near the lebanese border. as you take a look at the map there, just a reminder, lebanon is the home of hezbollah, a terrorist organization supported by iran. also supported by iran is the assad government of

syria. now iran's deputy foreign minister is quoted saying today, israel's airstrike inside syria will have significant implications for tel aviv. no specifics of course. with us, michael singh, managing director of the washington institute for near east policy and former director of national security affairs. michael as we mentioned developments in the last 24, 48 hours. how do you see the scenario playing out? what are you watching for next? >> hi, jenna. israel hasn't confirmed doing anything. to the extent israel did something we're not exactly sure what it did. it appears israel destroyed some sophisticated weaponry going from syria to hezbollah and probably originated with iran. that is tends to be how the supply chain works. important to remember this sort of action by israel when it undertakes it is not unprecedented. it is intended to sort of prevent a bigger and bloodier conflict down the road by keeping sophisticated weapons out of

hezbollah's hands. we'll hear a lot of things from russia, from iran but hopefully at the end of the day this will mean less conflict in this region. jenna: that might be counterintuitive for a lot of our viewers right, michael? the reports are of the airstrike are yet to be confirmed or the details on that but why do you think the message potentially such a strike could end may actually lead to a dehe is can -- deescalation of die vens. >> why the israel does these things and united states does drone strikes is to get at problems earlier before they met -- metastasize into bigger problems. maybe they think we could attack israel and would distract from our own civil conflict. this is to act as deterrents to that sort of thing. there is obviously a short term risk there will be realtation from hezbollah or syria. that is why you've seen the iron dome deployments to

israel. in the long run this is met to keep the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of groups like hezbollah. jenna: what do you think is happening now on the ground, michael, that israel would make this move now rather than, let's say six months ago? >> well i think, jenna, you look what happened in gaza for example. there was, seems as though there was probably intelligence indicating that big rockets were being moved into gaza. i think israel tends to act based upon indications of specific an imminent threats, just like the united states does. so there was probably some information that something was being moved from one place to another and of course when something is being moved is when it is at its most vulnerable and when you have an opportunity to attack. jenna: like so so many stories in the middle east, this is not isolated incident. we're hearing from a diplomat, a report out of iran that iran is also trying to put the pedal to the metal, if you will for one of its nuclear sites. >> right. jenna: that's an interesting

message also to get today on a week of news that we've had, michael. how do you make sense of what iran's saying is in light of the fact there is still a question whether or not there will be nuclear talks, diplomacy, the chuck hagel hearing how does it all come together. >> hate to say it, jenna. this is business as usual for iran. they are dragging its feet on talks trying to buy time while at the same time making leaps forward on the nuclear program. this should throw cold waterer that sanctions are working or somehow iranians will feel pressure to give up their program. the reality, jenna, iran sees making a deal or compromise in the united states as tremendously threatening. unless it really feels it has to, i don't think it is going to do that. that's why downplaying our military threat, that's why, the message sent by some of senator hagel's previous positions is so damaging to our overall policy of prevention. now with respect to this syria thing i think iran hopes again the israeli

strike on syria if it happened could serve as distraction from what it is doing on the ground in iran. jenna: a lot to watch today, we'll continue to watch senator hagel's comments on iran as they happen in this hearing in washington, d.c. michael great to have you on the program as always. look to have you back. >> thank you, jenna, there are new details to share in the trial of the woman brutal aaccused murdering her ex-boyfriend. the gruesome evidence that sent one woman running out of the courtroom and left defendant jodi arias sobbing uncontrollably. plus confirmation hearings underway right now for this man, former senator and defense secretary nominee chuck hagel. he is facing sharp questions from some of his toughest critics. florida senator marco rubio, a member of the foreign relations committee will join us next with his reaction

jenna: some new information on a few crime stories we're watching right now including this one out of arizona. the prosecutor in a arizona murder trial shocks the courtroom with a disturbing photo of the victim. the defendant shown here is accused of killing her ex-boyfriend. the victim's sister bursting in tears when he was shown with his throat slashed. quite a case there. meantime the search is on for the man who shot and killed this 15-year-old girl. she was an honor student. she performed at the president's inauguration. a truly sad story here. police say the suspect opened fire on a group of teenagers and was not targeting the girl though she died. at least one other person was also wounded this happening in chicago. country music star randy travis is expected to plead guilty to driving while intoxicated in a norris, texas, court today. that is where he will make his plea. this of course happened in texas. travis could face up to two years in jail. his attorney expects he will be sentenced to probation.

>> given that iran, the people, and i'm quoting right now from iran, people of the middle east, the muslim region and the north africa, people of these regions hate america from the bottom of their heart. it further said, israel is a cancerous tumor in the heart of islamic world. they further said iran's warriors are ready and willing to wipe israel off the map. the question i would like to ask you, and you can answer for the record if you would like, why do you think that the iranian foreign ministry so strongly supports your nomination to be the secretary of defense? >> i have a difficult enough time with american politics. senator, i have no idea. but thank you. jon: some samples there of the confirmation going on for defense secretary nominee chuck hagel. the former republican senator from nebraska, taking tough questions from his former colleagues on the senate armed services

committee. the hearing will determine whether the vietnam veteran will be confirmed to replace leon panetta as secretary of defense. joining us now, florida senator marco rubio, a member of the foreign relations committee as well as the intelligence committee. have is heard anything one way or the other, senator, that causes you to decide your vote on chuck hagel? >> well let me begin by saying that chuck hagel's service to our country, particularly in vietnam is something all of us admire and i don't think you will find any debate about that but he is being nominated for one of the most important cabinet positions in our country, the secretary of defense. i stated long ago i've been deeply disturbed by his previous comments and positions in regards to sanctions on iran and in regards to direct negotiations with north korea. obviously statements he made about israel. these are not the kind of statements and kind of positions i want to see our secretary of defense have and these are big, big problems. for those reasons i just don't believe i will be able to support his nomination especially after his testimony in the last hour here really not said

anything that addresses those concerns to my satisfaction. jon: israel attacked that convoy. the irrainsians and -- iranians as well as syrians are threatening war on israel. if that should erupt what would the united states, what should the united states do? >> well i mean obviously i don't want to speculate what may or may not happen militarily. obviously that is a very sensitive topic. let me say this. i think the united states has a clear obligation to stand with israel as our ally. to provide them material support for their own defense. israel is more than capable of defending themselves. they will be the first to tell you that but they do need our help and assistance in different ways. we need to stand prepared to make it very clear just as iran said an attack on syria is an attack on iran we should be very clear an attack on israel is an attack on our interests and america and i for one am prepared to say that. >> let's switch gear to immigration reform. it has been a front and center item this week. one member of a bipartisan

group of eight senators that unveiled their proposals to immigration reform this week you are. the president then came out with his own policy. do you see the two meshing? >> i see significant differences. obviously talking about the same topic but there are some things that are the same but there are critical points that are different. for me and many of the members of the group that outlined these principles in fact one of the key parts of these principles is very clear requirement before anybody get a green card, not only do they have to wait behind everyone that applied for them the right way but security measures, particularly border security must happen because these promises have been made in the past about border security and they have never been kept f we can't find a way to guaranty that, this bill is not going to work. the president didn't mention that at all. and another thing the president didn't mention was a guest worker program. without a guest worker program for future immigration we're going to be right back here again in five to 10 years with couple million people more who are undocumented. the president didn't mention that either. that is clearly part of our

principles. those two things are not part of a final product not only can i not support it but i don't think it stands a chance. jon: so many immigrants come into the country hoping to make it to the middle class. you've been talking about the middle class a lot lately. you have more work to do in that regard. how do you help, how do you propose, i guess that this nation filled -- build a thriving middle class? >> only way we'll have a thriving middle class is free enterprise and limited government. that is what makes us different from the rest of the world. every country has rich people. what makes america different is because we have middle class. that is the result of a country where people have the freedom to invest their hard-earned dollars when. it works it creates jobs an opportunities for others. that is the direction for us to go. the direction the president is trying to take us in the direction of failed ideas tried everywhere. in fact the failed ideas of countries that people come here to get away from. the people emigrate to get away from countries where the government dominates the economy. that is not the direction for us to go. we have a good argument to make to people trying to make it, that big government

crushes the middle class. it doesn't help the middle class. jon: as you know the president was reelected on an agenda that seems to include more government intervention in the economy. more regulations? >> well the president, let me tell you this. i bet the president wouldn't give his inaugural speech before the election. i bet he wouldn't say some of the things he said in the inauguration before the voting took place. the bottom line for the last 4 1/2 years the president tried to portray himself as a centrist who believes government should be limited. now he won the second and final re-election he no longer pretends to believe that he unabashed believer that more government is right answer. i look forward to the debate. i don't think that is one he can win. he doesn't have history on his side. he doesn't have economics on his side. we're beginning to see proof in the last three months of last year the american economy shrunk and it shrunk under this president because of his poll is. jon: everyone is looking at you as a possible presidential contender four years from now. are you thinking about it? >> no. i'm thinking about doing my job here. if you do a good job at the

job you have right now you will have opportunities to do things you never imagined. that is what i'm focused on now. i get paid every two weeks to do this job. i'm blessed to have it. i hope i do a good job for the people of florida and people of this country. jon: florida senator marco rubio, good to have you on. >> thank you. jenna: neighborhoods in ruin. one person dead after tornados tear through georgia. we'll have a live report on the recovery efforts this morning and also what to expect over the next couple days. turning back to capitol hill right where we were talking with the senator, the debt ceiling crisis could soon be resolved at least for now. the senate set to vote on a bill to raise the federal borrowing limit just temporarily. we're live in washington with that story next. eat good fats.

avoid bad. don't go over 2000... 1200 calories a day. carbs are bad. carbs are good. the story keeps changing. so i'm not listening... to anyone but myself. i know better nutrition when i see it: great grains. great grains cereal starts whole and stays whole. see the seam? more processed flakes look nothing like naturalrains.

you can't argue with nutrition you can see. great grains. search great grains and see for yourself. for multi grain flakes tt are anxcellent source of fiber try great grains banana nut crunch and cranberry almond crunch.

making the big romantic gesture. that's powerful. verizon. get a nokia lumia 822 in red for free.

jon: fox news weather alert. a powerful storm system sweeps through the southeast, leaving widespread damage in its wake. tornados, flipping cars and flattening homes in bartow county, georgia, yesterday. at least one person has been killed there. joining us now on the phone, bartow county chief, craig millsap, fire chief i should say. chief, have you been able to examine, you know, get to all of the damaged areas? do you know that everybody has been accounted for? >> yes, we were able to conduct our primary lost surveys yesterday and they finished secondary assessments yesterday evening. so we're confident we made it through all structures. jon: obviously it is not the time of year when you expect to be seeing scenes like

what we're seeing on our screen right now. tornados out the window. there was a fair amount of warning though, just that when these things company, you got to deal with the aftermath? >> that is the unfortunate side of it. we did get our warnings from the national weather service, from that. but when you have, you know, systems like what came across the southeast the past couple days, which is really strange for january, you never really know what to expect. jon: what's the challenge facing your people now? >> again, it is still just dealing, going through the debris and, getting everything opened back up to the public in april so they can actually get in to start doing cleanup. jon: these things are obviously so capricious. sometimes they skip up and down, hit a neighborhood and skip the next one. was this one on the ground a long time? is there a long, connected string of damage? >> actually this one, in the bartow county end of it was on the ground approximately 2 1/2 to three miles.

i know year before last when we had two tornados hit bartow county, we had it on the ground for close to 25 mills. so it wasn't like it was in the first one but it hit a very populated area. jon: and what happened? what is it that took the life of that one resident of your county? >> appears a tree that fell on the residence did do the damage that claimed that individual. jon: just so sad. you know, such a strange weather event, especially for january. chief craig millsap, from the bart to you county, fire department. we wish well as i work clean up. >> thank you so much. jenna: back to washington now. washington appears poised to resolve the debt ceiling crisis at least temporarily. a very important caveat here. the senate is expected to pass the measure to raise the limit on our federal borrowing but only raise it until may. chief political correspondent carl cameron is live from washington. so carl, may is my birthday

but beyond that i have no reason why may is the date. what is the fine print here in all of this? >> reporter: the title of it is called the no budget, no pay bill. that is sort of contingent string attached to this. over all extends enforcement the of current debt ceiling through mid-may. but at that point it retroactively goes up and the bipartisan policy center says the increase will be $450 billion. call it about half a trillion so the new total will end up being around 17 trillion in federal debt, as of mid-may. that string attached to the no budget-no pay provision. house republicans who have passed budgets during the first obama term inserted this into the legislation, essentially to pressure senate democrats to pass budgets. they have not done that during obama's first term. the measure says each chamber has to pass a budget by mid-april. sured either chamber fail, its member's pay would be withheld. here is harry reid talking about it and how it comes together today. >> obviously democrats would

prefer a longer suspension of the debt ceiling which would provide additional economic security and stability as we continue to find ways to decrease the deficit. raising the possibility the united states could default on its obligations every few months is not an ideal way to run government but a short-term solution is better than another imminent manufactured crisis. >> reporter: there will be a whole bunch of amendments proposed today. one would offset every dollar of increased borrowing with spending reductions. another would add 120 day extension to any possible government shutdown threat in the future to give lawmakers to avoid type of bloated bills that get passed in the dead of night and increase the deficit, debt and spending. all the amendments are expected to be defeated and the measure is expected to pass and as for that member pay, folks shouldn't think lawmakers are making too much of a sacrifice. there is constitutional amendment says senators and house members have to be paid. their salaries would be delayed, not denied. jenna: do we have such an amendment in our contract?

>> reporter: one would hope. i don't think so. jenna: carl, we'll continue to watch the story as we will over the next couple months at least until mid-may. carl cameron in washington the thanks rmgs carl. >> reporter: thanks, jenna, defense secretary nominee chuck hagel fielding questions at his confirmation hearing as he comes under fire for past statements regarding israel. the american diplomat he made one of those controversial comments to joins just minutes from now. also brand new developments in the hunt for an armed robber. the evidence police just released in this theft coming up. [ male announcer ] with over 50 delicious choices of green giant vegetables it's easy to eat like a giant... ♪ and feel like a green giant. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant

jon: the hunt is on for an armed robber in new orleans. police are asking for the public's help, releasing surveillance video of the suspect when he held up an elbes pulling out a gun and demanding money. police say he made off with 3500 bucks and two cell phones. investigators say he was

wearing a wig as a describe. they describe him 5'7", 120 pounds. anyone with information is asked to call crimestoppers. it is on the screen there. 504-822-1111. jenna: secretary of defense nominee senator chuck hagel facing some questions at his confirmation hearing right now. we have live pictures of that. this cops as he faced certainly a barrage of criticism regarding his past remarks on the middle east. today he made it clear he can not be defined by a single vote for a single quote. during his opening statement he discussed his plans for israel. >> i ensure our friend and ally israel maintains its qualitative military edge in the region and will continue to support systems like iron dome which is today saving israeli lives from terrorists rocket attacks. jenna: joining us now, aaron david miller, the former advisor to six secretaries of state. for a point of reference,

aaron, chuck hagel a few years ago made that controversial comment about the jewish lobby during an interview for one of your books. we'll talk about that in a moment. in a recent op-ed you wrote for "the washington post" you said senator hagel is not as emotionally connect, if you will to israel. talk to us about what he said today and about that point you also made. what is the effect of that? >> i think the reality is, first of all chuck hagel is not an enemy of israel. he is not hostile to the state of israel. he is learn aas some people have charged in no way an anti-semite. hagel believes in the special relationship with the state of israel driven by shared values, sense of value affinity but i don't think he believes in what i would describe to you as an exclusive relationship. that is to say there are times and circumstances in which u.s. and israeli interests may differ and they're going to have to be managed but during this process, and one thing about chuck hagel, he is if not,

if he not anything he is clear and he is honest. i think frankly, in this day and age, diplomacy in life that is really, really important. jenna: it is interesting you say that if i could jump in for a moment because you have advised six secretaries of state. you mentioned diplomacy and mentioned the way he is kind of previousing the world. do you think chuck hagel would make a better secretary of state rather than the head of the pentagon? >> you know my view on this, jenna. in barack obama you have the most controlling and withholding foreign policy president since richard nixon. barack obama doesn't dell gate. he dominates. and i think both chuck hagel and john kerry may well have to get used to the fact on the big issues, and it should be the president ultimately who makes the big decisions but consequential and effective secretaries of defense and secretaries of state help shape the policy. and that really remains to be seen. in an obama second term. jenna: let's go bigger if we

can for a moment. because the questions about the president's relationship with israel, again are one ally in this region, have been a constant questioning over the last four years. now we're going to be in a new term. regardless what happens with senator hagel and whether or not he heads up the pentagon which is expected, what do you i think the damage is of those questioning of our administration and our loyalty to our ally? >> well, i think the reality is if barack obama, and again, this a two-way street. benjamin netanyahu is not an easy guy to get along with. protects the interest of his country. sometimes those diverge with ours. but if barack obama wants to get anywhere, to manage the israeli-palestinian peace process and preserve the possibility of a two-state solution, not to mention the managing the iranian file, to try to come to terms with iranians or if they can't, figure out a way to make good on his commitment, to stop iran from acquiring a weapon which may well in the

end resort to military force he will have to develop a close, personal working relationship with the prime minister of israel. and, even in, in relationships based on tension, begin and carter, prime minister shamir and bush 41, they managed even though there was mistrust and lack of confidence to work out this sort of relationship. obama and netanyahu will have to find a way forward because the interests of both of our countries demand it. jenna: just in israel over the last week and i can personally attest that is big topic of conversation, the relationship between our two leaders and what's ahead over the next several weeks and months. aaron, grade great to have you on the program as always. we look forward to chatting with you more. >> take care, jenna, a fox news alert and breaking news out of detroit where there has been a huge pileup on interstate 75 that has killed at least two people. this happened in bad

visibility on a icy, slippery stretch of the interstate. a chain-reaction crash. nobody knows exactly what started it, but rescuers say they had to pull a number of people including children, out of vehicles. had to get the the jaws of life in to cut some of those vehicles out. it happened near the rouge river bridge on 7 i-75 in the detroit area. two people dead. report of 12 to 15 am bans -- ambulance on scene. eight to 12 seriously critical people as a result of this chain-reaction crash. as there is new information breaking we'll bring it to you "happening now." look what mommy is having.

mommy's having a french fry. yes she is, yes she is. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. 100% vegetable juice, with three of your daily vegetable servings in every little bottle. behind the silver of philadelphia cream cheese. it always begins with fresh, local milk, blended with real wholesome cream. going fresh from the farm, to our fridge, in just six days. because we believe in fresh taste. that's the way we set the standard for intensely rich, luscious flavor. so our story of fresh taste always ends... deliciously. when it comes to taste, philadelphia sets the standard.

jenna: "the new york times" reporting chinese hackers

have persistently attacked its computer system, getting passwords for its reporters and other employees. what are they up to? rick folbaum has more for us now. rick? >> "the times" says the hacking began four months ago after the news operation published an article about china's prime minister. the report uncovered evidence that prime minister when. >> bow used his position to make millions of dollars on business deals. the china these hackers began to infiltrate company computer systems, using employee passwords and breaking into e-mail accounts including the win for the report that wrote the story. they learned of hacking and let it continue so that cybersecurity experts that they could hire could track the hacker's movement. chinese officials denying this saying hacking is against the law and that hacking is baseless and unprofessional. it "times" is latest news operation to be targeted by

chinese. last year "bloomberg news" had some of its computers hacked after publication of an article on another chinese official. jenna: you've been safe? >> as far as i know. jenna: we'll see after this report. >> we sure will. jenna: rick, thank you. jon: don't invite anything. growing concerns over the state of the middle east and how the obama administration is handling it. as senator john kerry takes over for outgoing secretary of state hillary clinton who has warned the reegets on it is not where it should be. chief washington correspondent james rosen live in d.c. for us now. seems as if the middle east has never been more unstable, james. the challenges for u.s. policymakers are extreme right now. >> reporter: that's right true, jon. it is all fallout from the arab spring which popular revolutions over the past two years or so have upended decade of authotarian rule in several countries. recent rioting in egypt following a court verdict against previous rioters led to the central government

there briefly losing control of a key port city over this past weekend. president mohammed morsi, leader of the islamist muslim brotherhood fact shun already provoked large-scale protest with decrease he issued expanding his flowers. on a voice to germany, he sought to explain his 2010 statement calling jews desend ants of aprils and pigs. >> translator: children in egypt have grown watching images of bloodshed and aggression and killings taking place. my comments were about the conduct and manners. the killings and the aggression by tanks and warplanes and cluster bombs and internationally-banned weapons against innocent people. >> reporter: the obama administration right now is weighing whether to welcome mohammed morsi to the white house some time this spring, jon. jon: there are also reports that this attack in syria by the israelis could actually hasten the collapse of the regime? >> reporter: well, to be fair the israeli haves not confirmed that they launched any such airstrikes inside

of syria. even syria's staunchest allies, the russians alluded to imminent fall of president bashar al-assad. however any such development as the fall of the syrian regime would follow the staggering bloodshed, estimated 60,000 deaths across two years of civil war and would likely further destablize this region in the form of unsecured chemical and biological weapons. what analysts expect will be continued fighting among syria's religious factions and jihadist groups. >> the question is whether that will then pour over other borders as frankly is already happening and think containing that and trying to stop it as soon as possible will be a key priority for the u.s. it is not one that i'm convinced the administration will take up because it hasn't shown, very much interest in getting involved in syria in the first place. >> reporter: the president's nominee for defense secretary, chuck hagel testified this morning the

administration is weighing a no-fly zone oversyria. jon. jon: lots of developments. james rosen in d.c., thank you. >> reporter: thank you. jon: back with more "happening now" in just a moment so...how'd it go? well, dad, i spent my childhood living with monks learning the art of dealmaking. you've mastered monkey-style kung fu? no. priceline is different now. you don't even have to bid. master hahn taught you all that?

oh, and he says to say (translated from cantonese) "you still owe him five bucks." your accent needs a little work.

jon: a fox news alert and a hostage standoff with a 5-year-old boy being held many an underground bunker that's nearing the 48-hour mark now. it all started late tuesday afternoon in the tiny town of midland city, alabama, when a man neighbors describe as a loner and volatile boarded a packed school bus, shot and killed the driver and took the little boy, a kindergartener. we're hearing from reports the young hostage is watching television and getting medication sent from home. later on "happening now," a former hostage negotiator on the delicate balancing act facing police as they try to talk the suspect into releasing that young child. >> reporter: we're here in the the "happening now" control room, a brand new hour straight

ahead as we take a look at another tense confirmation hearing live on capitol hill. this time for former senator chuck hagel. can he win over former colleagues who say he may not be right for the job? also, dangerous weather in georgia. two people are dead, homes and businesses destroyed, trucks turned over on their side, tornadoes ripping through large chunks of the state. we'll have the very latest. and the business of space tourism, how'd you like an out of this world spring break multiday cruise around the planet earth? don't laugh, it's coming sooner than you might think. all of that and breaking news as the second hour of "happening now" starts right now. ♪ jenna: well, the president's nominee for secretary of defense in the hot seat on capitol hill. former senator chuck hagel facing harsh criticism as he vows to defend america around the world. of course, that being the top job, the secretary of defense.

welcome to a brand new hour of "happening now," everybody, i'm jenna lee. jon: i'm jon scott. some fireworks on capitol hill as senator hagel telling the senate armed services community he would not hesitate to use the full force of the u.s. military, but some senators seem concerned about his stand on key issues and how his private views may or may not have changed. the ranking republican, james inhofe, explaining why he will not support hagel. >> senator hagel has expressed viewed in meetings with senate colleagues, i've been informed, and through the press that appear glaringly at odds with many of his long-held positions, particularly on issues dealing with israel, iran and our nuclear arsenal. in this apparent willingness to walk back or alter his position possibly for the sake of political expediency on such important issues is deeply troubling and sends a concerning message to our allies and our

adversaries alike. jon: chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel keeping an eye on those confirmation hearings live for us on capitol hill. mike? >> reporter: hi, jon. we're about two-and-a-half hours in, and there are still plenty more questions for former senator chuck hagel. the top republican on the senate armed services committee was quick to say he's a no on hagel. >> after a long and careful review of his record and the things that he has said and the things that i have personally experienced with him, that we're too philosophically opposed on the pressing issues facing our country and for me to support his nomination and, therefore, i told him i would not be supporting his nomination. >> reporter: although hagel is a republican, all the heat he is taking is from gop members. hagel was quick to say and try to reassure his colleagues that he is not soft on iran. >> i am fully committed to the president's goal of preventing iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. and as i have been on record on

that issue, and as i've said in the past many times, all options must be on the table to achieve that goal. >> reporter: a lot of the heat hagel is taking is about past statements and actions and writings. hagel was asked about whether or not he wants to get rid of all of the u.s.' nuclear weapons. >> i'm really bringing out the inconsistent si because when you were involved with supporting the global zero or whatever that group, the organization was, their declaration is, quote: we the undersigned believe that to protect our chirp, our grandchildren, our civilization from the threat of nuclear catastrophe, we must eliminate all nuclear weapons globally. >> the position of global zero, my position, some of the individuals, national security leaders that senator nunn talked about including himself has never been unilateral disarmament.

ever. never. >> reporter: there are already some high-profile republican nos, senator inhofe on the committee, senator rubio announced it on your show, and senator john cornyn, the number two-ranking senate republican. some folks i've talked to up here on the hill suggest this vote in the committee could be a strict party line vote with democrats voting in favor and republicans voting against. jon? jon: all right. mike emanuel continuing to watch it for us. thank you, mike. jenna: while that confirmation hearing is taking place, we're awaiting a vote to allow the united states to take on more debt suspending the $16.4 trillion borrowing limit for four months. the white house also today confirming the president is shutting down his jobs coup sill. -- council. this after two years, only four meetings and millions of americans still out of work. how does this all work together? wendell goler is live at the white house with more on this

story. hi, wendell. >> reporter: the jobs council was always intended to have a two-year charter, mr. obama will continue to consult the business community on ways to create jobs. they say he acted on most of the council's recommendations even though he didn't agree with all the members' ideas, most notably refusing to go around the state department's permitting process on the keystone xl pipeline. the presidents jobs council followed his economic recovery advisory board, but neither produced as many jobs or as strong a recovery as the administration wanted. the unemployment rate fell from 9 to 7.8% over the two-year period. its expiration, the council's expiration, was a too-tempting target for republicans. here's senate minority leader mitch mcconnell. >> the president can make any excuse he wants, but it's not going to help americans find jobs. one thing the president could have done instead of wasting so much time blaming others would have been to convene the jobs

council he created amidst so much fanfare. he hasn't done that for more than a year. in fact, from what i understand the council is expected to, actually, disband today after having met only four times since 2011. >> reporter: a republican national committee chair, reince priebus, tweeted, quote: news this morning that the economy contracted last quarter comes as obama's jobs council ends. great work, team, you're excused. at the same time, house speaker john boehner's spokesman said in a written statement, quote: -- it's from brendan buck -- whether ignoring the group or rejecting the recommendations, the president treated the jobs council as more of a nuisance than a vehicle to spur job creation. the white house says the next phase will be an expanded effort to create jocks. it -- jobs. it will include some members of the council as well as business, academic and labor leaders. jenna? jenna: well, we all look forward to more jobs, and we'll pay

close attention to the jobs court tomorrow. more on this story as we get it. jon: some new information on severe storms tearing across the south. what forecasters now say was powerful enough to create this deadly destruction. plus, a gunman opens fire inside a meeting room. one man is dead, another in critical condition. now police say a massive man hut has come to an end. manhunt has come to an end. breaking news on this case next. >> i just seen him coming around the corner shooting, and then he ran out the door after he was shooting. i was trying to back out of the way. >> a lot of people in my office are pretty shook up. it's just a scary thing. something like this can happen in broad daylight in the middle of an off office building. when you have diabetes...

your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger... look who's getting smart about her weight. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes.

jenna: and now back with a fox news alert. new information on a deadly end to a manhunt for a suspected gunman who opened fire inside an arizona office building. rick has the latest from our

newsroom now. >> reporter: we are getting some late breaking details, jenna. it looks like that the manhunt is over now that the shooter's body has apparently been found, but this is quite a story in that phoenix office building complex yesterday. again, one person was killed, two others injured, one of them seriously. that's a picture of the 70-year-old gunman, arthur harmon. he had been involved in a contract dispute with the company, and he was at the building for a mediation session when he apparently pulled out a gun and opened fire. and this is what it sounded like to folks inside. >> i heard at least two shots. >> i heard a really loud bang. >> i was told to get under the table, there was a man with a gun. >> the people in the front of the office started running to the back, and we all heard in an i.t. closet. >> we barricaded the door and hoped for the best. >> i just heard, like, 3-6 shots, and, like i said, i didn't -- i just believed that somebody was messing around, but when people started running into the office and hiding, so then i

called 911. >> everyone was very scared because of you hear about these things happening all the time. it just doesn't happen to you. >> reporter: well, a s.w.a.t. team was called to that building, and while they went from office to office, paramedics got to work on the wounded. listen to the police scanner. >> i need multiple units, 7310, i'm being told the shooter's still inside the building here. it's a parking garage on the west end. >> reporter: now, douglas harmon got out of that building and got into a rental car, and police wound up going to a house he had recently sold to his son. it turned out he wasn't there, and the search for him has apparently just ended within the

last hour or so as first harmon's car was found and then inside that car a body matching his description. we have not yet been able to get official confirmation, jenna, that it is, in fact, harmon's body that's inside that car, but it does appear that is the case. if we learn anything more, we'll pass it along. back to you. jenna: sounds good, rick. thank you. jon: well, growing questions for president obama as some claim his second term agenda seems to put the issues of jobs and the economy on the back burner. in spite of that, his approval rating has improved of late, but today an associated press raised these concerns saying, quote: in politics power resides in the moment. any immediate economic setback or the perception of one could weaken obama's clout or at least distract him as he carefully tries to put his imprint on initiatives dealing with immigration and gun violence. let's talk about it with a.b. stoddard, an associate editor and columnist for "the hill." a.b., the president has been mostly talking about immigration

and gun violence lately, and yet we still have an unemployment rate at 7.8%. if labor force participation were the same as when he took office, it would be over 10%. we've got a fall in our nation's economic output in the last quarter, and you've got new, um, shrinking of consumer confidence. those are some pretty big issues. does that threaten to derail what the president wants to accomplish? >> well, it will. you mentioned before whether or not these issues would distract him. i mean, a troubled economy has to distract him whether or not he actually focuses on it is another question. much of these last few months were taken up by after the election the president continuing his campaign for extending tax cuts, um, for everyone but the wealthy top brackets, and so we had a fiscal cliff debate and fight on capitol hill where american taxpayers across the country paying their holiday bills were

anxiously waiting to see what congress would do, and ultimately everyone but the top earners saw their tax cuts restored. and we went right into a debate about gun control and immigration reform. so it's true that the president has not talked about growth or the economy in a very long time. given this new data, though, and given the fact that we saw an anticipation of these sequestered cuts that the congress passed a long time ago and have the opportunity to undo but haven't yet and are set to go into effect on march 1, in anticipation of those cuts that really hit at defense spending we saw a big shrink in defense jobs, and that is going to continue, um, when we see the sequester go into effect in march. and it's going to hit domestic programs as well. combined that will be, produce a considerable dent to consumer demand. and as we get into a couple months down the road, new jobs reports, another budget fight coming, it's not going to be possible for president obama to ignore the topic. jon: well, he's trying, i guess.

jay carney at the white house yesterday told the press that really the reason for the problems in the economy are because republicans control the house of representatives. >> that's what the president was telling everybody at christmas time when he was threatening to, you know, we're all going to go over the cliff, and the republicans are going to raise everybody's taxes, and that's going to decimate the economy. what we saw was a deal, as i said, that restored tax cuts to 99% of american taxpayers, and we put off the question with of these very serious, draconian, across-the-board, blunt cuts to nestic and defense -- domestic and defense programs and as president obama said in his debate in the fall with mitt romney simply were not going to happen. his own defense secretary said they would be so damaging to the military, he has been urging the president repeatedly not to let them come online. and so we're looking at a situation where we actually has the chance to engage with the congress. republicans are waiting because

they don't want to raise more taxes to see what spending cuts he would replace them with. but this is not a situation where republicans are to blame about the sequester. there's bipartisan complicity in coming to those numbers and blame if we go into the sequester. but the president ultimately knows he can't have a good second term, he can't get these other controversial initiatives passed if he's fighting with republicans about spending cuts, um, in a very bad environment with consumer demand going downward. that is not an environment for him to score wins with. jon: and 7.8% unemployment and his jobs council is going away, but the president has four more years. we'll continue to watch it. a.b. stoddard from "the hill," thank you. >> thank you. jenna: well, a frightening standoff right now in alabama where a 5-year-old boy is being held hostage in a bizarre underground bunker by a suspected killer. former nypd hostage negotiator on the delicate task that is really facing police right now.

what do you do in this situation? we'll talk about it with an expert coming up. plus, seeing is believing, where a massive twister tore through a town smashing homes and killing at least one perp. rick reichmuth on where this violent storm is moving now. >> get over here. ♪ you know my heart burns for you... ♪ i'm up next, but now i'm sging the heartburn blues. hold on, prilosec isn't for fast relief. cue up alka-seltzer. it stops heartburn fast. ♪ oh what a relief it is!

jon: right now we are nearing the 4-hour mark in a harrowing hostage standoff in alabama. it started late tuesday amp when a man boarded a packed school bus, shot the driver dead and took one of the children away. now that 5-year-old boy remains the man's captive in what is described as a doomsday bunker buried 8 feet upside ground. can't imagine what it's like for the little boy and his family. in the small town of midland

city, alabama, where everybody knows everybody, just about a mile down the road from where the hostage situation going on, community members join in prayer. >> we need to get together and pray, basically, for ethan mainly, the young boy's safe return. i can only imagine what his family are going through at this time, and we just want the whole world that hears this to be able to join together in believing that this young child is going to be able to get back home safe. jon: well, a former hostage negotiator for the new york city police department, prayer is a powerful thing, but the negotiators are going to have to do more than that. they're going to have to deal with this guy. how do they -- well, first of all, what's the motive? how do they establish what he wants? >> well, you know what it's like? it's like going into the middle of a movie in the theater, and you don't know the beginning, and you don't know the end. so the bottom line, the most important thing is to develop a rapport with the hostage taker. we know that he falls into two

situations, two premises. one, he falls into a professional criminal because he shot someone and took that child as a hostage. and secondly, he falls into what we call an edp, an emotional hi dis-- emotionally disturbed person. those people take the longest because they have a statement, they have something they want to say. in addition to that, you have to understand that this is a doomsday prepper. you go with the idea that he has plenty of supplies and food, he has weaponry because we know he used a weapon before, and he has enough to keep them, for how long we don't know. the bottom line to this is he has to have the onus on him that he's responsible for that child. because that child is his ticket, and more importantly, that child has to be safe. the negotiators are working on that particular program with him. jon: so you don't want to do anything threatening, obviously. >> absolutely not. keep in mind, you know, if he has any explosives there, it's contained, and if god for bid he

ignites it, they're history. so you go with the idea he's irrational right now, and the negotiator is rational. and you want to keep him on a seesaw, on the same level and communicate. the longer it takes to communicate, the better opportunity you have to of a successful hostage negotiation. jon: so if this thing drags on into days or even weeks, that potentially is a good sign? >> it's a good sign because you have a dialogue going. he's developed credibility. there's a give and take in negotiations. he'll ask for something, we'll give it to him. for instance, say he wants a cigarette? well, we'll give him a match if he doesn't have a match, but in return he has to give back something to us. jon: all right. but if he's underground, what's he going to be able to offer to give back? >> well, he can give back, for instance, he can work with the child. the whole premise is to get the child out, and the ore premise is -- the other premise is to get him out. if he has, there's a procedure that's dope if he wants -- that's done if he wants to give

up the child, how to bring the child out. jon: it's got to be extremely tense. >> extremely. jon: thank you. >> thank you. jenna: certainly a big story we'll continue to watch there. in the meantime, also watching down south where tornadoes are pummeling the land. where this violent storm system is heading next, we have an update for you. plus, popcorn, you never really think about the business of popcorn. it's not really just about movie chains. today a look at our small business spotlight, we're going to show you how one little kernel popped right into mainstream business in this country to become the king of the corn. popcorn, big business today. a profile next on "happening now."

>> announcer: you never know when, but thieves can steal your identity and turn your life upside down. >> hi. >> hi. you know, i can save you 15% today if you open up a charge card account with us. >> you just read my mind. >> announcer: just one little piece of information and they can open bogus accounts, stealing your credit, your money and ruining your reputation. that's why you need lifelock to relentlessly protect what matters most... [beeping...] helping stop crooks before your identity is attacked. and now you can have the most comprehensive identity theft protection available today... lifelock ultimate. so for protection you just can't get anywhere else, get lifelock ultimate. >> i didn't know how serious identity theft was until i lost my credit and

eventually i lost my home. >> announcer: credit monitoring is not enough, because it tells you after the fact, sometimes as much as 30 days later. with lifelock, as soon as our network spots a threat to your identity, you'll get a proactive risk alert, protecting you before you become a victim. >> identity theft was a huge, huge problem for me and it's gone away because of lifelock. >> announcer: while no one can stop all identity theft, if criminals do steal your information, lifelock will help fix it, with our $1 million service guarantee. don't wait until you become the next victim. you have so much to protect and nothing to lose when you call lifelock now to get two full months of identity theft protection risk free. that's right, 60 days risk-free. use promo code: gethelp. if you're not completely satisfied, notify lifelock and you won't pay a cent. order now and also get this shredder to keep your documents out of the wrong hands-- a $29 dollar value, free. get protected now. call the number on your screen or go to lifelock.com to try

lifelock protection risk free for a full 60 days. use promo code: gethelp. plus get this document shredder free-- but only if you act right now. call the number on your screen now! jon: right now, picking up the pieces after tornados tear through the south, flattening neighborhoods, killing at least two people. in hard-hit adairsville, georgia, about 60 miles north of atlanta, authorities think it could have been an f-2 or f 3 tornado that tore through town. cell phone capturing the terror what looks to be a twister bearing down on the center of the city. national weather service crews are assessing damage to try to determine the storm's severity. >> you could hear a big roaring, everything went pitch black, stuff was flying everywhere and it was over in a matter of seconds. >> several are completely

gone, gone off the foundations and roofs missing. my heart goes out to those folks. jon: fox chief meet role gift rick reichmuth is in the fox weather center. rick. >> they have preliminarily they have found damage consistent with a f-3. winds over 150 miles an hour. this is not an official report. this is look at the storm the last few days. you can see it starting out in parts of the central plains and bringing a lot of severe weather. 700 reports of strong wind, meaning wind damage, and 30 preliminary reports of tornados as well with this. all of this happening with such warm air. look at temperatures for wednesday. all of these broke records. newark, new jersey got to 66 degrees here at the end of the january. all of that has changed. temps really plummeted behind this. you can see in the last 24 hours, pittsburgh you're down 31 degrees from where you were. the cold air has certainly moved in. these are records we saw on

tuesday. you can see where we are. tonight all the places really plummeting. certainly a very strong return to winter. also very windy conditions. this is what is left of this, wind across parts of the northeast. a lot of airports unfortunately dealing with big delays today, the temps really dropping by tomorrow morning. back below freezing for a couple of days. the winds, jon, will be moving across the great lakes. we'll see a lot of lake-effect snow over the next couple days, jon. jon: i will warn my daughter in upstate new york. >> good call. jon: rick, thank you. jenna: today we have brand new numbers on the health of america's job market. 368,000 americans filed for first time unemployment in the latest week. that is up from last week. as you know these weekly reports can often be volatile. tomorrow we have the big jobs report for january that will really give us a snapshot what is going on in the job market during our first month of 2013. also today, we have a new report about layoffs. you have a job placement firm, challenger, gray & christmas reporting that companies plan to cut their

payrolls by more than 40,000 jobs this month. now that is up 24% from december, but better than the same time last year. so we'll see how that comes out in the jobs report tomorrow. now our spotlight on small business where we look at business owners and entrepreneurs who are really surviving and even thriving during tough economic times. rob israel is the founder of doc popcorn. a company that says over last several years they have seen growth of more than 5,000%. who would have thought popcorn, rob. why is popcorn the popcorn business, a successful one right now? >> well, jenna, first thank you so much for having us. we're so excited to be here. you know, it's timing, it is a natural product. it is better for you product and we started the business in 2003 and we worked many, many years. we worked six years to really get the model right. we started franchising in 2009, jenna. then we really took off in 2009. our model is a efficient and affordable and simple.

and our product is indulgent and delicious. very important, glutten-free and all natural. jenna: interesting. >> that matters today. jenna: sure. certainly does. a lot of diet turns on that. i imagine a young rob, growing up wasn't thinking i'm going to be a ceo of a majorly successful popcorn company. so how did you come to it. >> no. i thought i would play rugby and hang out on the field. you know, i tried kettle corn many years ago and fell in love with it. i lived in manhattan, probably close to you guys, and fell in love with kettle corn and i said, why, what if we made this better, natural, fantastic indulgent. then i said this should be everywhere, in high traffic venues, malls and, you know, every place that a person could be, fairs, festivals, carnivals but in a better for you product. so that is kind of how we got the start. jenna: you've been opening up a bunch of franchises all over the country.

some of our viewers might be interested in hearing about that. what is that business like? what is the year ahead look like? >> yeah. we've had really rapid growth and again, we are the largest popcorn company in the world now. so, and our growth continues but also we're very focused on growth at the model level. building our individual stores and building the growth within those stores too. but we're literally doing, you know, growing rapidly, and we have 80 units open and popping. 90 franchises. we literally just started as we said three years ago. it has been remarkably "fast and furious.". and our proprietors have been amazing. what i would like to say if you go to doc popcorn.com and look up a pop shop closest to you, and go there for that experience you will see what's happening. we're doing a great promo for this weekend for the super bowl. you can bring a fantastic pen or six-pack to your big game. really have this amazing experience. jenna: to be honest with us, right now, how much popcorn do you eat daily?

are you over it at this point? >> that's a great question. we mix flavor, jenna. an hopefully you guys will have some in the studio because it is pretty awesome. i love sweet butter and salt and pepper. we have the cinnamon with butter. we don't get tired of it because there so much variety. jenna: i was curious. >> that very, very fair question. jenna: jon is eyeing. we'll have to run. we have your website. get doc popcorn.com. make sure viewers check it out. you're on twitter. go this weekend and enjoy that. i want to say we're pretty much becoming what mcdonald's and starbucks did for their products we're doing for popcorn. thank you so much for having us. we're very excited to be here. jenna: nice happening in a recession as well. got to point out there are successful businesses out there. rob, appreciate the popcorn. >> thanks, guys. jon: popcorn business is exploding right? high flying tourists getting ready for a vacation that is literally out of this world. as soon as next year they

could be blasting in outer space. adam housley is live in mohave, california. adam? >> reporter: jon, we saw the end of the space shuttle program and def def making endeavour making travel to the museum. the private part of the space race is going crazy. new mexico being another area. here in mojave 12 private companies are making it reality literally as you mention in the next couple years. you and i can go to space. family vacation to space may not be so far away. >> some day you and i, our children, our grandchildren, are going to think nothing of this. they will go to a spaceport and get on a space plane and take off to go somewhere. >> i believe in your lifetime you will have the opportunity to buy a ticket to go into space. >> reporter: over a dozen private aerospace companies in mojave, california, and around the company are developing technologies as

reusable launch vehicles and space taxis which with allow long term stays in case. flights for private citizens are being planned as early as next year. they are teaming up with nasa taking advantage of the open playing field and shared technology. >> regardless whatever reasons nasa has to attract and offer an entree to the private sector to come in and work with them, whatever those reasons are we don't really care. all we know is that the opportunities are here. >> reporter: opportunities that include expanding space programs for other countries. as the industry grows, competition will undoubtedly drive costs down. that presents other problems such as health concerns and government regulations. >> right now the faa only has regulatory authority for launches and reentries of commercial spaceflight. they can't regulate currently on-orbit activities. >> reporter: no doubt that the demand is there. virgin galactic has 500 people booked with deposits

of 20,000 each to go into orbit. >> thank you, everybody. >> reporter: we know nasa headquarters both in houston and in florida. the private space race is really all over the country with the spaceport being in new mexico and here in mojave in california. there is little bit of a race going on jon, the spaceport in new mexico getting competition from california. there is legislation introduced to keep those companies here to have their spaceport here in the golden state. the private space race is going and hopefully you and i can jump on one of these flights in the next couple years. jon: how far we've come. adam housley, thank you. >> reporter: absolutely. thanks, jon. jenna: the mastermind behind the manti te'o hoax explaining why he did it and what i wanted from the college football star. former senator chuck hagel facing a firestorm of criticism today. why some members of his own party are coming out against his own nomination for

defense secretary. >> though i respect senator hagel, his record to date, demonstrates he would be a staunch advocate for the, the continuation of the misguided policies of the president's first term, retreating from america's unique global leadership role and shrinking the military will not make america safer. twins. i didn't see them coming. i have obligations. cute obligations, but obligations.

i need to rethink the core of my portfolio. what i really need is sleep. introducing the ishares core, building blocks for the heart of your portfolio. find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. to tell real people about our new 15 under $15 menu! oh my goodness... oh my gosh, this looks amazing... [ male announcer ] 15 entrees under $15! it's o new maine stays! seafood, chicken, and more! h! the tilapia with roast vegables. i'actually looking at the od grilled chicken with portobello wine sauce. that pork chop was great. no more fast food friday's. we're going to go to red lobster... [ male announcer ] come try our new menu and sea food different. d introducing 7 lunch choices for just $7.99! salad, sandwiches and more.

jenna: short recess underway right now in today's confirmation hearing for chuck hagel, president obama's nominee for defense secretary. former senator hagel facing some tough questions earlier from members of his own party. republican senator john mccain grilling mr. hagel in a sharp exchange over his outspoken opposition to the surge in iraq. >> will you please answer the question, will were you correct or incorrect when you said that the surge would be the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam? were you correct or incorrect?

yes or no? >> my reference to surge -- >> are you going to answer the question, senator hagel. the question is were you right or wrong? that is pretty straightforward question? i would like the answer whether you were right or wrong then you are free to eelaborate? >> well, i'm not going to give you a yes or no answer. >> well let the record show you refused to answer that question. now please go ahead. jenna: just a snippet of the hearing today, retired major general paul eden served in the army more than 30 years. he supports former senator hagel's nomination. brian hook is also with us. assistant secretary of defense under president george w. bush. he is on the board of americans for a strong defense, a group of former romney campaign staffers that have been running some ads in key states around the country to oppose hagel's nomination. the nice to have you both with us today. >> thanks for having me. >> thanks, jenna. >> i would like to start with you if i could. you wrote a piece recently on hagel's pending

nomination where you say his pending nomination triggered the release, and i'm quoting here from attack chihuahuas from the republican party. among those you mentioned is senator john mccain. senator mccain served as you have. you have different background coming at this different ways. why don't you think mccain's criticisms about hagel aren't warranted? >> well, i honor former captain mccain, senator mccain, a very much, a war hero but he is wrong on this one. i'm a former chief of infantry. i got to love chuck hagel. senator hagel about, former infantry sergeant, volunteered for duty with the 9th division. he will never leave the soldier behind. he is always going to have the soldier interests at heart as he brings the pentagon into this new world that we're in? he is also a, he is also a very much a free thinker. he challenges, he challenges the conventional wisdom.

every military headquarters i ever been in that is the kind of guy you need to avoid doing something dumb. jenna: brian the general makes very interesting points that hagel mentioned this hearing today. he said he is committed to our nation's warriors. why is that not enough for you for a man in this position? >> well, certainly nobody questions senator hagel's service to the united state and the military. he served with distinction. the question is his record. he has been in the senate for 12 years. and if you take a look at his record on national security and defense issues it's very troubling. it is well outside the mainstream of public opinion. "the washington post", which supported president obama's election for the presidency, has come out opposing senator hagel's defense domination nomination, because his record on key foreign policy and defense issues placing him on the fringe of the senate. we agree with the "washington post" on that and think he wasn't the right choice. jenna: general, getting back to your point about our nation's soldiers, our

nation's warriors out there, we're seeing senator hagel return to his testimony today, there are some that say some of his positions on policy, iran, for example, will actually lead our nation into more wars. his position where he says he is not going to support sanctions in iran and he hasn't for several years. where he says he supports direct talks. he backs away from direct conflict with iran. what do you think about that, about how some criticized senator hagel for saying that actually will lead us to more wars, not less? >> well, the question really is engagement. we stayed engaged with the soviet union throughout the vietnam war, throughout the korean war while their weapons weapons were killing our guys. you got to talk to the enmy. keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer. senator hagel understands that, engagement. soldiers love it when the diplomats are out there using the economic power the united states and the diplomatic power of the united states and they recognize that employment of soldiers in military work is

the last option. that's what senator hagel is talking about here. let's talk to these folks the way we talked to the soviets throughout the history of the soviet-u.s. cold war. jenna: interesting note, brian, that senator hagel opposed sanctions for iran, 2004, 2007, 2008 and onwards. brian, why do you think that could potentially be an issue and why is that concerning to you? >> this is a huge issue. he has shown a consistent pattern on iran of opposing the diplomatic pressure, opposing sanctions. almost alone in the senate opposing sanctions. there was one iran sanctions bill that passed the senate 98-2. senator hagel was onely one of two people opposing sanctions on iran. did it in 2007. did it again in 2008. he is consistently opposes pressure on rogue governments like iran. and but he goes a step further. he believes that we need to sit down with rogue

governments and try to talk them out of nuclear weapons or talk them out of terrorism. he tried the same thing in syria where he met with the assads, with al-asad and we now have 60,000 people dead today in syria. they don't, the syrians, the iranians, they don't think like we do and senator hagel has shown consistently poor judgment on thinking that he can talk governments or terrorist organizations out of their dangerous behavior. jenna: we'll continue to watch the developments out of this hearing today. brian, gin, nice to have you both with us. >> general that, -- jenna, thank you very much. jon: in a pivotal part of the world there is new reaction from egypt's president where the leader of the army says violence could cause the nation there to collapse. his defiant answer next. [ loud party sounds ]

hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've gotine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach.

jenna: egypt's new government on the verge of collapse a crucial questions today as a crucial meeting takes place in cairo. following a week of violent protests and political chaos across egypt. leaders of rival groups today signing a joint statement renouncing the widespread violence. this is coming after egypt's defense chief is warning that the government could collapse unless the political forces reach some sort of political agreement. walid phares, middle east analyst and author of the struggle for freedoms in the middle east. appropriate title, walid, each time we speak to you about this. let's take this topic in a different direction. is chaos in egypt good for the united states or bad for the united states? well it looks like he will not answer that because he can't hear me which is very difficult when that happens. we'll see if we get him back

in a second. one of the things we want to talk about when it comes to egypt, and this was crucial when i was traveling in israel last week was whether or not or not our support for the military is actually a good thing or a bad thing. whether or not it actually balances the power of the muslim brotherhood that is actually in government right now. because so many have been so critical of us giving military aid to egypt. but some suggest that maybe that military aid will counterbalance what is happening with the central government in egypt. walid can hear us now. i don't know if you herd the last bit of that conversation a little bit. you shake your head no. so we'll start over again. the question i had initially for the segment is whether or not chaos in egypt is a good thing for the united states or a bad thing for the united states right now? what are your thoughts? >> well, certainly a chaos that would end up in the crushing of civil society, revolt against the brotherhood regime, against morsi would be a bad thing because of the results. there will be in egypt a regime that would, that wouldn't have any opposition on the one hand.

it was thought to put pressure on israel and gaza. it will start intervening in libya and probably deeper in after from can so support the islamist movement. it is important to have a secular opposition we're seeing now demonstrating in various cities in egypt. jenna: how do you know you can trust them, you say the opposition groups, to be even pro-western? are the groups that are opposing the muslim brotherhood reliably pro-american? >> oh, they don't have to be pro-americans. i mean greeks are 80% critical of america. half the french criticize our foreign policy but they're prodemocracy. that is what is very important. mr. morsi posed as a friend to america in the beginning. in fact on the ground he is establishing an islamist regime. what is important to identify this opposition as a potential partner to the united states and to the international community to conduct a real democratic change, not what mr. morsi is trying to do in egypt at

this point in time. jenna: i have only 30 seconds, walid, but the military in egypt, what kind of role are they playing in this at all? >> all the military have to do right now refuse to execute orders to suppress the people. if they do this, they will give us in the international community the capacity of putting serious political pressure on morsi to reform and move towards democracy, not away from it. jenna: very interesting. we'll have you back to talk more about the relationship with the military which is so key in egypt. not only our relationship with the government but the relationship directly with the military. always nice to have you. sorry about the technical difficulties. >> thank you. jenna: we'll be right back with m.o. harping l -- more "happening now" [ male announcer ] how do you make america's favorite recipes?

just begin with america's favorite soups. bring out chicken broccoli alfredo. or best-ever meatloaf. go to campbellskitchen.com for recipes, plus a valuable coupon. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. why let constipation plus a vstry miralax.?. mirlax worksdifferently than other laxatives. it dws water into your colon to unblock your system naturally. don't wait to fe great. miralax.

>> a young girl arranges to get cocaine to her school and wins the signs fair. it was to find out which dog could sniff out cocaine the fastest. her dad is a